The Portland Trail Blazers host the Boston Celtics Tuesday night in the first meeting between the two teams this season and the final game of a three-game homestand. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: Celtics lead, 67-47IN PORTLAND: Celtics lead, 30-27AT THE CELTICS: Celtics lead, 37-20LAST PORTLAND WIN: 97-92, 2/27/19 (Boston)LAST CELTICS WIN: 105-100, 3/23/18 (Portland)CURRENT WIN STREAK: Two (Portland)
GAME NOTES
•Tuesday's meeting will be the first of two games between the Trail Blazers and Celtics during the 2019-20 season.
• LAST SEASON: Portland swept the 2018-19 season series with Boston, 2-0.
• Portland's starters have averaged 86.4 points per game this season (second in the NBA) while Boston's starters have averaged 85.3 points per game (third in the NBA).
• The Trail Blazers rank eighth in the NBA in scoring (113.3) while the Celtics are ninth (113.3).
• CJ McCollum averaged 14.0 points (35.3% FG, 14.3% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two games against the Celtics last season. McCollum has scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games against Boston.
• Hassan Whiteside averaged 9.0 points (60.7% FG, 22.2% FT), 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.00 block in four games against Boston with Miami last season. He has pulled down double-digit rebounds in seven of his last nine games opposite the Celtics.
• Trevor Ariza averaged 8.5 points (29.4% FG, 25.0% 3-PT, 100% FT), 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two games against Boston with both Washington and Phoenix last season. Ariza has scored in double-figures in seven of his last eight games versus the Celtics.
• Kemba Walker averaged 18.0 points (25.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 90.9% FT), 1.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in two games against the Trail Blazers with the Hornets last season. Over Walker's 15 career games against Portland, he has failed to reach double-figures in scoring just twice.
• Jayson Tatum averaged 20.5 points (51.7% FG, 45.5% 3-PT, 100% FT), 6.0 rebounds and 1.00 block in two games against Portland last season. Tatum has scored in double-figures in each of his four career games against the Trail Blazers, including a 27-point performance on Nov. 11 last season.
• CONNECTION: Boston center Enes Kanter played 23 games for the Trail Blazers during the 2018-19 season, averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds.
• CONNECTION: Celtics President of Basketball Operations and Eugene, Oregon, native Danny Ainge played 161 games for the Trail Blazers from 1990-92.
INJURY NOTES
Damian Lillard (right groin strain), Rodney Hood (left ruptured Achilles tendon), Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), and Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture) are out for Tuesday's game.
As for the Celtics, Robert Williams III (left hip bone edema), Kemba Walker (left knee soreness), Tremont Waters (Two-way) and Tacko Fall (Two-way) are out.
BROADCAST NOTES
Tuesday's game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam calling the action. Travis Demers and Michael Holton will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations on the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.